Jane McDonald, The Singer Of Your Song Tour, Grand Opera House, York, March 29

Plenty of musicians, from Kate Rusby to The Waterboys, have made the reverse switch to York Barbican, as Jane herself did after its reopening in April 2011, no doubt attracted by the bigger capacity.

“But I do prefer a theatre. I like the grandeur of it all as I do make an effort with the gowns and the stage show,” says the Wakefield cabaret diva.

“My crowd love to get dressed up to go to the theatre and the show I put on is very much a theatre show, so the Grand Opera House really does lend itself to my performance.”

Forever associated with BBC1’s 1990 documentary-soap The Cruise – gosh, was it screened that long ago? – Jane is touring her new stage show in support of her new album, The Singer Of Your Song.

“All my musicians are hand-picked and it’s taken me years to get these musicians,” says Jane, whose line-up includes musical director Wayne Pollock, from Leeds, on piano, Neil Bullock on drums, Steve Cooper on guitar, John Melville, from Leeds, on keyboards and Richard Hammond, from Crigglestone, on bass. “The size of the tour means they have up to 40 shows to play, which they’re very happy to commit to.

“I also have two young backing singers at the side of the stage, Sally Faye Carr and Beth Macari, who joined me last year and they were so good that I said, ‘Would you like to join me again?’. The boys in the band are delighted as the girls are 20, 21.”

Jane recorded the new album in Prague with the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra. “We were there for only about four days recording pretty much the whole album and there were only about four tracks that still needed finishing after that,” she says.

The album takes its title from a new Jane composition of the same name.

“I’ve written The Singer Of Your Song as a salute to the fans and I’ve never seen such a reaction to one of my songs,” says Jane “I workshop my songs to see if the audience like them and if they do, I record them and then the album will sell!”

Jane’s relationship with her fans is one of the reasons for her enduring popularity. “It’s why I travel all those miles to all those places and why they travel miles to see me,” she says. “My show releases tears, emotion, whatever.

“Everyone comes for the nostalgia and the show is for them. All I do is sing songs; that’s what I do. At 50, I’ve realised what my audience want: they want a damn good night out and to be moved in some way; to laugh, maybe to cry.”

This led to Jane writing Not A Day Goes By. “That song gives them an excuse to have a bit of a weep. If you’re emotional, you’re definitely going to get emotional at my show. You’ll feel like you’ve been Tangoed,” she says. “I do sell my soul when I sing.”

Among the talking-point songs on The Singer Of Your Song is Jane’s version of The Beach Boys’ God Only Knows. “I’ve rearranged it as a ballad with strings and four backing singers, and it’s so moving when you break it down, with just the piano at the beginning,” she says. “It’s like a prayer, so that will be very emotional in the show.”

Another highlight of Jane’s 2014 tour is her rendition of Eydie Gorme’s signature song Guess Who I Saw Today. “Eydie passed away last year and I love that song, which I sing with just a guitar. It’s such an amazing song about a woman who’s gone out shopping and sees her husband having an affair,” she says. “Songs like that make it a completely different show to what I used to be about.”

Jane is promising a new Motown medley and a new disco medley comprising Shake Your Groove Thing, Haven’t Stopped Dancing Yet, You Make Me Feel Like Dancing and the big finale of Dance Yourself Dizzy. “You can’t get camper than that,” she says. “The outfits alone are so camp.”

Expect a James Bond medley too, combining Adele’s Skyfall with Goldfinger, Licence To Kill and Live And Let Die. “You might as well say ‘goodnight and God bless’ after that.” she says.

Not just yet, Jane. One more question: Who designs your stage frocks? “Kaye Heeley, from DSI in London, who do all the Strictly Come Dancing ccostumes.”

One final question: would Jane fancy doing Strictly? “I’m always on tour when it’s on, but one day, you never know,” she says. “I know the dress designer already. It’s just my knees that I worry about.”

Jane McDonald is 51 on April 3.

Jane McDonald, The Singer Of Your Song Tour, Grand Opera House, York, March 29, 7.30pm. Tickets update: still available on 0844 871 3024 or at atgtickets.com/york

The Singer Of Your Song (Tour Edition) is out now.